Nexus 4 launch delay in India: Are Google, LG fighting over price?

Google’s next generation Nexus smartphone, the Nexus 4, was due to be launched in India in November last year, according to reports. After that reports came in stating the smartphone would hit Indian stores by January 2013.

But currently there are no signs of the smartphone coming to India. It appears that the delay behind the launch could be due to escalating tensions between Google and LG. IBN-Livereports quoting from an unnamed source that the launch of the smartphone has beendelayed because Google and LG are debating over the price tag.

The LG-manufactured Google smartphone starts at $299 for 8GB while the 16GB version is for $349 in the US. What this means is that the 8GB smartphone should cost roughly around Rs 16,000 or a little more in India. But consumers shouldn’t get their hopes up about a cheaper price. The Nexus 7 when it was finally launched in India cost Rs 19,999 , much more than the $200 price tag at which it starts in the US.

Google’s Nexus 4. Image from Google

The truth is that LG could want much a higher price for the smartphone as they don’t have a big share in India’s growing smartphone market.

But pricing isn’t the only issue plaguing the Nexus 4 smartphone. Across Europe, UK and US, the smartphone is in short supply and supplier LG is being blamed for it.

Google’s UK and Ireland Managing Director, Dan Cobley apologised on his Google Plus profile after users complained about the lack of deliveries for their Nexus 4 orders.

“Supplies from the manufacturer are scarce and erratic, and our communication has been flawed. I can offer an unreserved apology for our service and communication failures in this process,” he wrote.